Abhishek Kumar Thakur Profile

• Current institute: CM Science College
• CAT score: 99.68

When and why did you think of appearing for CAT?

Abhiske Kumar Thakur: I thought about appearing for Cat when I had just passed my 12th examination. The motive was that I wanted to start my startup and wanted to learn about operating a business and what better place there would be than a B School.

Did you join any coaching institute ? If yes, which one and why ? If not - Why did you go for self preparation?

Abhiske Kumar Thakur:  Yes, I joined Unacademy online for Cat. Coaching helps a lot when it comes to clearing the basics and also to get a mentor whom you can trust.

What was your preparation strategy for Verbal?

Abhiske Kumar Thakur:  In Varc, I used to read books and tried to increase my reading Speed while reading fiction books. Also I joined classes on Unacademy to get my Rc basics clear. After that I practiced using the materials available and relied on a lot of sectionals. There was a point when I used to take one sectional per day of Varc.

What was your preparation strategy for DI and LR?

Abhiske Kumar Thakur:  In Dilr, I initially cleared my basics and solved all kinds of basic level sets of DI and LR. Also, after the basics were done by the end of April, i started to take Sectionals and also tried to solve PYQs. Initially i wasn't able to solve PYQs but after i think the key in dilr is to not give up on a particular set. Even if it's a kind of set that you'd prefer to leave on the day of the exam, initially you should try to solve it because it'll help you develop the logical mind. The most difficult areas for me were cubes and routes and I very frequently messed up in these whole solving.

What was your preparation strategy for Quant?

]Abhiske Kumar Thakur: In QA, I was not upto the mark from the start. I had a fear of Algebra/Geometry and I used to ignore them. Arithmetic was my forte and I used to get the majority of arithmetic questions right. On the exam day as well, I solved all the Arithmetic questions.

By the end of May, I realised my mistake and Started studying Algebra Geometry as well. Though I could never manage to get most of the geometry questions correct, it didn't hurt too much by the end. The only key in Quant is practice and that too of a different variety of questions.

How were the last few days before the exam?

Abhiske Kumar Thakur: I stopped studying after Wednesday. On Thursday I took the CAT 2021 Slot 3 Paper as my last mock and that was it. I analyzed it and then didn't do anything related to CAT. This was recommended to me by a serial 100 percentiler(12 times) and helped a lot as I was completely relaxed on the day of the exam.

And ending on a good note gives you a great confidence boost so it helps.

On Friday Saturday, I tried to keep myself as cool as possible by watching cricket matches and reading some murder mystery fiction(i love them).

Which mocks helped you crack CAT?

Abhiske Kumar Thakur:  I took approximately 90 mocks before CAT. I used IMS,UNACADEMY and CL mocks. If I had to pick the best one, I'd say it's because they had a very smooth test taking experience and Dilr and QA were on point. Unacademy and CL mocks were also very good when we talked about the CL of questions. They basically helped me prepare a strategy of mine in all the 3 sections.

While analyzing, I solved all dilr sets which I couldn't solve earlier and also had a look at qa questions i missed or got wrong while taking the mock.

In Varc, I read the rc and tried to solve the questions I got wrong.

If I got a really bad score in some area(in most of the cases quant), I used to revise it thoroughly and take a sectional to boost my confidence.

One mistake which you think you should not have made (During the exam or during the preparation phase)?

Abhiske Kumar Thakur:  I didn't focus too much on Varc by the end of Oct and that cost me as in mocks my varc scores were really good, but it showed otherwise on the response sheet.

Please recreate the moment for us when you first saw your result?

]Abhiske Kumar Thakur: I was with my cousins when I suddenly had a look at a telegram group around 5:15 when everyone in the group started writing their percentiles. I had an idea that results will be out this week but didn't expect this early.

I saw and found it to be a 99.68. I was sure of getting a 99 by looking at the Predictors but never thought about more than 99.6 to be honest. It was a relaxing experience for me and a throat clearing experience for them as they shouted a lot out of joy:)

What next? Which colleges are you targeting based on your profile and percentile ? And how do you plan to clear the GD PI?

Abhiske Kumar Thakur: I have tried a few call predictors and based on advice from peers as well I think I might get a Call from a few BLACKI IIMs and FMS and if I get into any one of them I'd be happy.

FMS will be the preference nonetheless.

I've not started gdpi prep seriously but will start it following some guidance by peers and experts.

Which other exams did you appear for ?

Abhiske Kumar Thakur:  XAT

What are your long term goals and how do you think getting into your dream college will help you achieve that?

Abhiske Kumar Thakur: As I mentioned, I've always thought of setting up my own venture and MBA from a top B-School will help me achieve my dream.

Also, the kind of peer learning we get in a B school is extraordinary and is a major portion of one's success.

What should be an ideal 6 months strategy to prepare for CAT?

Abhiske Kumar Thakur: For future cat aspirants, I'd say consistency is the key. Try to be diligent with your prep and try not to overdo it. Just get the basics right, keep practicing and improving yourself and everything will eventually fall into place.

Go through PYQs, attempt a lot of sectional and redo the sets or questions you got wrong.